Detailed Characteristics
Understanding each machine tool's working principle through its kinematics.
🟡 Lathe
The lathe rotates the workpiece against a stationary cutting tool. It is the most versatile machine tool, capable of turning, facing, threading, knurling, and boring operations. The workpiece is held in a chuck or between centers and rotates at a controlled speed (the primary motion), while the tool moves linearly along the bed (the feed motion). Modern CNC lathes add powered tooling and Y-axis capability for complex turned parts.
Key Parameters: Spindle speed 50–4000 RPM, max turning diameter 200–2000mm, max turning length 300–8000mm, feed rate 0.01–5.0 mm/rev.
🔵 Milling Machine
The milling machine uses rotating multi-point cutters to remove material from a stationary or moving workpiece. The cutter rotates as the primary motion; the workpiece (or cutter) moves in X, Y, and Z axes as feed. Milling produces flat surfaces, slots, pockets, gears, and complex 3D contours. Vertical and horizontal configurations offer different cutting approaches.
Key Parameters: Spindle speed 30–10,000 RPM, table size 200×500 to 800×3000mm, feed rate 10–2000 mm/min, number of axes 3–5.
🟢 Planer / Shaper
Planers and shapers produce flat surfaces through linear reciprocating motion. On a planer, the workpiece reciprocates beneath a stationary tool; on a shaper, the tool reciprocates over a stationary workpiece. After each stroke, the tool or workpiece indexes sideways for the next cut. These machines excel at large flat surfaces, guide ways, and heavy stock removal where milling would be inefficient.
Key Parameters: Table stroke 1–12m (planer) / Ram stroke 200–1000mm (shaper), cutting speed 5–60 m/min, feed per stroke 0.5–5mm.
🔴 Grinder
Grinding machines use abrasive wheels rotating at high speed to remove very small chips. The grinding wheel's rotation is the primary motion; the workpiece moves linearly or rotationally as feed. Grinding achieves the highest precision and surface finish among conventional machine tools. Common types: surface grinders (flat surfaces), cylindrical grinders (round parts), and tool & cutter grinders.
Key Parameters: Wheel speed 20–60 m/s, workpiece speed 10–50 m/min, depth of cut 0.001–0.05mm, achievable surface roughness Ra 0.1–0.4 µm.
🟣 Boring Machine
Boring machines are designed for enlarging and finishing holes to precise diameters. The boring bar rotates as the primary motion while the workpiece or bar feeds linearly. Horizontal boring mills handle large, heavy workpieces like engine blocks and turbine housings. Jig borers achieve the highest hole positioning accuracy. Unlike drilling, boring corrects hole location errors from previous operations.
Key Parameters: Spindle diameter 50–200mm, max boring diameter 100–2000mm, table travel 500–6000mm, positioning accuracy ±0.005mm (jig borer).
